Three Man
Encyclopedia
Three Man is a drinking game
of skill and strategy, but essentially it's just two dice
. The game can be played with a larger group (6-15) of people than other drinking games and is designed so as to not require a great deal of participation from the players not directly involved in the current dice roll.
s, such as beer pong
, there is no "official" set of rules, and certain rules may vary from house to house
.
Players begin the game taking turns in a rotation, normally clockwise, playing until their turn is expired. A player's turn begins by rolling two dice
. After the initial three man has been chosen (usually a fresher), any time a player rolls a three on either die, or a total of (a 1 an a 2), the three man must take a drink. If the player rolls two threes, the three man takes two drinks.
If the player rolls a total of five, the player behind them (the person to their right when playing clockwise) has to take a drink, and if the player rolls a seven, the person ahead of them drinks.
If the player rolls doubles, there is a "roll off." In a roll off, the player who rolled doubles choses two other players and hands each one a die, which the players then roll at the same time. The player who rolls the lower number must "drink the difference" - for example, if one player rolls a five and the other rolls a one, the player who rolled the one must take 4 drinks (5-1=4 drinks).
In some variations, a player who rolled doubles (Player A) may also give them both to one single player (Player B), who then rolls both of the die to see what he or she is to drink. If player B rolls doubles, however, both of the die are returned to player A and he rolls. He then doubles what he rolls and takes that many drinks (A rolls doubles, gives to B. B rolls doubles and hands them back to A. A rolls 6+3=9, so he must drink 18 times).
If the player rolls any of these options, the player is granted another turn. Other rolls expire the turn and pass the dice to the next player.
If the player rolls one or both dice off the table, house rules vary. In some games, the player may simply take a drink for each die rolled off, or the player may become the three man. Many northeastern college towns evoke a "Sloppy Jalopy" rule. In this variation, anyone who rolls the dice off the table of play is considered the "Sloppy Jalopy" (often exclaimed in high volume in response to the players unwieldy roll) and automatically becomes the Three Man.
A more recent adjustment to the game allows players to create a new rule that all players must abide by, lest they drink more. This is only done after there are three successful rolls by a single player on a single run. Doubles, three man the hard way (1+2), 7 and 5 all count towards this. Rolling a basic 3 does not count. The most popular rule is the "Green Man" rule, in which all players must remember to take the imaginary plastic green soldier off their respective drinks prior to starting drinking. After the round of drinking is done, players must return the "Green Man" to his resting place. Failing to do so results in another drink.
One variation makes something happen on any roll of a 1 depending on the result of the other die. For instance, a 1 and a 1 is doubles, which allows for a roll-off or passing of dice. A 1 and a 2 turns the roller into the three man. A 1 and a 3 forces the 3 man to drink. A 1 with a 4, 5, or 6 have special rules which force the players to perform an action, with the last player to perform that action receiving one penalty drink. These action change from house to house, but one common variation has the players place a thumb on the table on a 1 and a 4, touch their nose on a 1 and a 5, and hold their earlobe on a 1 and a 6. Often these actions are done quietly with players trying to avoid letting the others in on what must be done until only one person is left who has not performed the required action. The quietness of the other players will often signal to those not paying complete attention that something must be done, resulting in a mad dash to avoid being last. An additional variation penalizes players for performing the wrong action, like touching their nose when they should grab their earlobe.
Drinking game
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...
of skill and strategy, but essentially it's just two dice
Dice game
Dice games are games that use or incorporate a die as their sole or central component, usually as a random device.-Collectible dice games:Patterned after the success of collectible card games, a number of collectible dice games have been published...
. The game can be played with a larger group (6-15) of people than other drinking games and is designed so as to not require a great deal of participation from the players not directly involved in the current dice roll.
Rules
The rules presented here are a generalization. As with many drinking gameDrinking game
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...
s, such as beer pong
Beer pong
Beer pong, also known as Beirut, is a drinking game in which players throw a ping pong ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in a cup of beer on the other end. The game typically consists of two two-to-four-player teams and multiple cups set up, in triangle formation, on each side...
, there is no "official" set of rules, and certain rules may vary from house to house
House rules
House rules are rules applying only in a certain location or organization. Bars and pubs in which games take place frequently have house rules posted...
.
Players begin the game taking turns in a rotation, normally clockwise, playing until their turn is expired. A player's turn begins by rolling two dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
. After the initial three man has been chosen (usually a fresher), any time a player rolls a three on either die, or a total of (a 1 an a 2), the three man must take a drink. If the player rolls two threes, the three man takes two drinks.
If the player rolls a total of five, the player behind them (the person to their right when playing clockwise) has to take a drink, and if the player rolls a seven, the person ahead of them drinks.
If the player rolls doubles, there is a "roll off." In a roll off, the player who rolled doubles choses two other players and hands each one a die, which the players then roll at the same time. The player who rolls the lower number must "drink the difference" - for example, if one player rolls a five and the other rolls a one, the player who rolled the one must take 4 drinks (5-1=4 drinks).
In some variations, a player who rolled doubles (Player A) may also give them both to one single player (Player B), who then rolls both of the die to see what he or she is to drink. If player B rolls doubles, however, both of the die are returned to player A and he rolls. He then doubles what he rolls and takes that many drinks (A rolls doubles, gives to B. B rolls doubles and hands them back to A. A rolls 6+3=9, so he must drink 18 times).
If the player rolls any of these options, the player is granted another turn. Other rolls expire the turn and pass the dice to the next player.
If the player rolls one or both dice off the table, house rules vary. In some games, the player may simply take a drink for each die rolled off, or the player may become the three man. Many northeastern college towns evoke a "Sloppy Jalopy" rule. In this variation, anyone who rolls the dice off the table of play is considered the "Sloppy Jalopy" (often exclaimed in high volume in response to the players unwieldy roll) and automatically becomes the Three Man.
A more recent adjustment to the game allows players to create a new rule that all players must abide by, lest they drink more. This is only done after there are three successful rolls by a single player on a single run. Doubles, three man the hard way (1+2), 7 and 5 all count towards this. Rolling a basic 3 does not count. The most popular rule is the "Green Man" rule, in which all players must remember to take the imaginary plastic green soldier off their respective drinks prior to starting drinking. After the round of drinking is done, players must return the "Green Man" to his resting place. Failing to do so results in another drink.
One variation makes something happen on any roll of a 1 depending on the result of the other die. For instance, a 1 and a 1 is doubles, which allows for a roll-off or passing of dice. A 1 and a 2 turns the roller into the three man. A 1 and a 3 forces the 3 man to drink. A 1 with a 4, 5, or 6 have special rules which force the players to perform an action, with the last player to perform that action receiving one penalty drink. These action change from house to house, but one common variation has the players place a thumb on the table on a 1 and a 4, touch their nose on a 1 and a 5, and hold their earlobe on a 1 and a 6. Often these actions are done quietly with players trying to avoid letting the others in on what must be done until only one person is left who has not performed the required action. The quietness of the other players will often signal to those not paying complete attention that something must be done, resulting in a mad dash to avoid being last. An additional variation penalizes players for performing the wrong action, like touching their nose when they should grab their earlobe.